November is a time, by tradition, for family celebrations. It's also a month in which we set aside time to honor our veterans and military families by recognizing their sacrifices and celebrating their successes. 

Earlier this month, Gov. Whitmer recognized November as Veterans and Military Families Month to thank military families for the tremendous contributions they make in support of our service members, their mission, our state, and the nation.

Michigan is home to more than 530,000 veterans, and nearly 10,000 Air and Army National Guard members and their families. The contributions and sacrifices of the members who served in the Armed Forces have been vital in maintaining our freedoms and way of life. Our veterans are brave and selfless individuals who, when duty called, willingly put themselves in harm's way to defend the lives and liberty of others.

The dedication and strength of military families during a sustained high operational tempo, increased deployment, and long separations is an inspiration to us all. The State of Michigan understands that families also serve, and is honored to pay tribute to them.

Read the full proclamation here.

Jobs are key to unlocking opportunity, and for many Michiganders, it starts with a Registered apprenticeship. Registered apprenticeships are an opportunity to learn a skill while getting paid. They’re pathways into good-paying jobs and bright futures. 

There are nearly 20,000 Registered Apprentices in Michigan and more than 1,200 active registered apprenticeship programs. Michigan has the sixth-highest number of active Registered Apprenticeships in the nation, and also ranks seventh for the number of new Registered Apprentices and eighth for completers nationwide.

And with more than 520,000 Michigan jobs and approximately 45,500 annual openings in the professional trades projected by the year 2030, it has never been more important to spotlight these opportunities in critical fields. That’s why Gov. Whitmer recently announced her Race to Talent with Registered Apprenticeship campaign to grow Michigan’s skilled workforce.

As Michigan navigates the complexities of a rapidly changing economic landscape, the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity is steadfast in its commitment to expanding registered apprenticeship and training opportunities. Learn more about Registered Apprenticeships at Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship.

Jill Hinton-Wolfe, who spoke at the second annual MVAA Women Veterans Conference, believes women veterans need three things to thrive: a mission, a tribe and grace.

The Army veteran found her own mission as director of Grand Valley State University’s Military & Veterans Resource Center, helping guide other young veterans through their educational journey.

“When you find your mission, you have the power to change other’s lives,” said Hinton-Wolfe, who retired from Grand Valley State earlier this year.

She said tribe means finding a group of like-minded individuals who care about and support you, much like the gathering of women veterans at the conference.

“We are human beings; we were built for connection,” she said. “Loneliness will kill you.”

Grace means creating a different definition of what failure looks like. In 2017, Hinton-Wolfe was diagnosed with a rare, degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. Today, she is legally blind with approximately 10 degrees of central vision (most people have 180 degrees). Her guide dog, Hannah, goes with her everywhere.

“Life is too short,” Hinton-Wolfe said. “Don’t spend it beating yourself up. There is too much work to be done.”

Read more of Jill's work at JillHintonWolfe.Medium.com.

Efforts are underway at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to encourage nearly 3 million veterans to come into a VA medical center or clinic and receive a brief five-minute screening for possible exposure to environmental hazards.

Under a requirement of the PACT Act, the VA must try to screen all patients enrolled in VA healthcare for toxic exposures. To date, the VA has screened 4.8 million veterans, 40% of whom have reported having at least one concern or experience with potential exposures.

Next on the list, however, are the 3 million veterans who are enrolled at the VA but don't actually receive their medical care in a VA facility. If this is you, discover how you can receive your screening here.

U.S. Navy veteran Ammie, who served for 21 years, faced unique challenges aligning her skill set with employment opportunities in Ogemaw County after retiring from the military. Ammie stopped by her local Michigan Works! Service Center to get support. 

There, and Employment Services Specialist connected her to West Branch-based Veterans’ Career Advisor Bridget Baker. Bridget helped Ammie identify industries and companies where her skills could be effectively utilized. Their discussions covered various aspects including Michigan Works! opportunities, interview questions, and bridging the gap between her military experience and prospective employers.

Additionally, they collaborated on updating her resume, fine-tuning online job search techniques and conducted mock interview sessions to better prepare her for actual interviews.

Working closely with Bridget and the Local Veterans’ Employment Representative Pat Muoio, Ammie successfully secured a position as a Career Navigator at Ogemaw Heights High School through Michigan Works! Region 7B. She was able to lean on her previous experience of managint the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Scholarship Program for the Navy.

Two members of the 217th Air Component Operations Squadron traveled to Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria, for more than a week in September to assess the airworthiness of foreign aircraft in support of U.S. Air Forces Europe - Air Forces Africa.

The visit was part of the Michigan National Guard's efforts to expand impact on the region by partnering with Liberia through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.

Maj. Jacob Stommen and Maj. Craig Warn, 217th ACOS maintenance officers, were part of a three-member team that inspected aircraft and the Nigerian Air Force’s flying and maintenance practices.

“These assessments are important for everyone involved,” said Stommen. “The partner nations are great to work with and eager to show off their practices pertaining to the aircraft. We learn some maintenance practices as well, so it is a two-way street.”

The team inspected a C-130 Hercules, a Falcon 900 and a King Air 350. U.S. Air Force policy requires an airworthiness assessment before U.S. personnel fly on foreign aircraft. Sommen and Warn’s home unit regularly augments USAFE-AFAFRICA, so they were well-suited for the mission.

“It [the mission] builds the all-important relationship between many parties,” said Warn. “We get to work with the State Department, USAFE-AFAFRICA, State Partnership Program, and most importantly, the host nation.”

Stommen and Warn have extensive experience assisting partner nations in Africa, with more than 40 trips to the region combined. Continue reading about the program at NationalGuard.mil.

Sandra K. Tiger is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and is also descended from the Seminole Nation. She had a long, successful military career and retired from the Army in 1993 after 20 years of service.   

Tiger attended Basic Training at Fort McClellan, AL, during the Era of the Women’s Army Corps. Upon completion, she attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Wadsworth, NY, as a Chaplain’s Assistant.

Her first duty assignment was at Fort Sill, the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center, where she worked as a Personnel Actions Clerk (PAC). This was followed by an assignment to 5th Signal Command in Germany. During this period, she was reclassified as a 75E, making 71M as her secondary Military Occupational Skill (MOS). 

Upon returning to the U.S., Sandra was assigned to the 9th AG Company with duties in the Personnel Services Division, Fort Lewis, WA. Following this assignment, she was assigned to the U.S. Army Military Personnel Center in Alexandria, VA, where her work focused on helping the Army retrain soldiers to help alleviate shortages in Military Intelligence, Special Forces and specialties with critical needs.

Next, she was reassigned to the Quarter Master Branch as a Team Non-commissioned Officer in Charge for Supply MOSs. Also during this period, she was selected to be a member of the Defense Advisory Committee of Women in the Service. She was a senior enlisted advisor to   senior DOD leadership concerning women’s issues. She also participated in the Army uniform trials, providing recommendations on improvements and changes.

Learn more about Sandra and other veterans like her on the Veterans Legacy Program webpage.

Welcome to the Veterans’ Employment Services (VES) Newsletter. Our mission is to assist you and your family secure meaningful careers in Michigan.

The concept of veterans helping veterans is a trademark of the VES team and one of the keys to its success. Veterans face many challenges when transitioning out of the military – finding meaningful employment should not be one of them.

• Veterans in need of employment assistance should contact the nearest Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Center by calling 800-285-WORKS (9675) or visiting MichiganWorks.org.
• More information about Veterans’ Employment Services is available at Michigan.gov/VES.
• Register today and start your job search at Pure Michigan Talent Connect at MiTalent.org.